Chapter 13 Flashcards
Social Psychology
the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.
Attribution Theory
the theory that we explain someone’s behavior by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition.
Fundamental Attribution Error
the tendency, when analyzing others’ behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition. This is flipped when observing ourselves.
Attitude
feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events. This can precede behavior, or follow behavior.
Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon
the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request.
Role
a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave. When first getting into a role, actions may feel phony. As time progresses, this will become your new normal.
Role-playing can greatly affect our actions and attitudes.
Cognitive Dissonance Theory
the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent. For example, when we become aware that our attitudes clash with our actions, we can reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes.
Peripheral Route Persuasion
occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness.
Used to trigger emotion-based reactions.
Central Route Persuasion
occurs when interested people’s thinking is influenced by considering evidence and arguments.
Used to trigger careful thinking.
Norms
understood rules for accepted and expected behavior. Norms prescribe “proper” behavior.
Chameleon Effect
our ability to mimic each other’s actions, a type of “social contagion”. Helps us to empathize with others.
Positive Herding
positive ratings generate more positive ratings.
Conformity
adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.
More likely to conform when in groups, feel insecure, or respect social standards.
Normative Social Influence
influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.
Informative Social Influence
influence resulting from a person’s willingness to accept other’s opinions about reality.
Obedience
when people follow orders. We are inclined to do this a lot.
Highest when the demander is powerful or when the victim is depersonalized. Obedience usually outdoes kindness.
Minority Influence
the power of one to two individuals to sway majorities.
Social Facilitation
in the presence of others, improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks, and worsened performance on difficult tasks.
Social Loafing
the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable.
Deindividuation
the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.
Group Polarization
the enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group. This is a self-affirming cycle.
Groupthink
the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives.
Prejudice
an unjustifiable and usually negative attitude toward a group and its members.
Stereotype
a generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people.
Discrimination
unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group or its members.
Explicit Prejudice
when we are aware of our prejudice.
Implicit Prejudice
unthinking and unconscious prejudice.
Types of Prejudice
- Racial and ethnic prejudice
- Gender prejudice
- LGBTQ prejudice
Just-World Phenomenon
the tendency for people to believe that the world is just and people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get. A root of prejudice.
Ingroup
“us”— people with whom we share a common identity.
Outgroup
“them”—those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup.
Ingroup Bias
the tendency to favor our group. A root of prejudice.
Scapegoat Theory
the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame. A root of prejudice.
Other-Race Effect
the tendency to recall faces of one’s race more accurately than faces of other races. Also called the cross-race effect and the own-race bias. It also explains why it is easier to catch differences in our race faces. A root of prejudice.
Aggression
any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone physically or emotionally. Caused by biopsychosocial influence.
Frustration-Aggression Principle
the principle that frustration—the blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal—creates anger, which can generate aggression.
Social Scripts
a culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations.
Mere Exposure Effect
the tendency for repeated exposure to novel stimuli to increase our liking of people. This explains why proximity is the biggest influence in forming relationships.
Passionate Love
an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a romantic relationship.
Companionate Love
the deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined.
Equity
a condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it.
Self-Disclosure
the act of revealing intimate aspects of ourselves to others. This, along with positive support, is crucial for a relationship.
Altruism
unselfish regard for the welfare of others.
Bystander Effect
the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present.
Social Exchange Theory
the theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs.
Reciprocity Norm
an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them.
Social-Responsibility Norm
an expectation that people will help those needing their help. Especially people who can’t give as much as they receive.
Conflict
a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas.
Social Trap
a situation in which two parties, by each pursuing their self-interest rather than the good of the group, become caught in mutually destructive behavior.
Mirror-Image Perceptions
mutual views are often held by conflicting parties, as when each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and views the other side as evil and aggressive.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
a belief that leads to its own fulfillment.
Superordinate Goals
shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation.
GRIT
a strategy designed to decrease international tensions.
